Galvanic battery



UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica CHARLES ELPIPER, OF M OLI, ILLINOIS.

GALvA Nic B ATTE RY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 119.349.600, dated4September 21,V l886.

T all whom, it may concern: l

Beit known that I, CHARLES E. PiPER, of Moline, in the countyof RockIsland and State ot'lllinois, have invented certain new-and use? fnlImprovements in. l(hilvanic Batteries, of which the following' is afulh, clear, and exact description, reference being` had to the accoin`panying drawings, iuwhich- Figure l is a perspective View of my improvedgalvanic battery. Fiy. 2 is a pci-spec` tive View of one cellthereofturned bottom'np. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line .n :rin Fig. 2,

'and Fig. 4 is a view oi' the preferable form in y receptaclebetween/them for retaining the electrolyte; second, in' an electrolyteconsisting ot'riiiercurie nitrate, either alone or combined with anothernitrate to-form a nondeliqnes cent salt; third, in the combination of abattery-eell as aboi'e described, combined with a fibrous slip havingdeposit-ed thereon the elec trolyte, and also in the other mattersdescribed and claimed herein.

M y improved battery is a still-liquid vhat-` tery, and is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein A represents 'ai-single cellcomplete in itself without any containing; ves# sel, and adapted toret-ain the electrolyte solution. This cell consists of a positiveplate, a,

, and a negative plate, a', which' lie substantial] y sides thereof.

parallel with each other,l and are cemented to a strip .of insulatingmaterial, er', which lies between them at 'or near the edges of three Inthe p referable form the positive element a is of zinc, and thenegativeelement a is of carbon, made liquid and acid proof by boiling` it inparaftine, or any other suitable means., This form of batter r-cellpossesses many valuable features not found in any lother form of cellknown. It makes an extremely-compact cell. .It is adapted to beeonnected with other cells like i t., either in series No modellmultiple arcor series multi ple, by simpl y placing the cells in contactwith each other with- 'out theaid of any binding-posts, wireaor ,may becombined. v

other devicesmthat is to say, the cells may be connected by placingthenegat-iyc plates in Contact with the 'positive plates, as shown inthe'drawings; or they maybe connected byA placing them so that theiredges shall be in contact, the edge of each negative pliitezigainst theedge oi' the negative plate in thendjoin-` ing' cells, and the edges ofthe positive plates ineontact, or the two nboredescribed methods XVhenconnected in seriesl` as shown, a single .cell or the whole numbermay-be used. as desired, by only charging the cells it is desired touse, and completing the .circuit by inserti ng a metallic wedgel betweenthe last'cell in use and the next unused cellv and attaching the wire tosaid wedge, as shown in thedrawings, wherein c representsihe metalWeiglge. Y Many 'ditterent electrolyte solutions may be used with thisform of4 cell; but I prefer to use incrciiric nitrate, either alone orcombined with some other nitrate which produces, a non deliquescentsalt.

lents of meren ry and dissol ve them in abou t ten equivalents ofjSt-.rong nitric arid by the aid ol heat. Vhen complete unionhastalen'place. I add three equivalents ofrpotassic nitrate.

' and about two equivalents oflnitric'acid, and continue the heat;untilwtlie solution is cour pletely snturated. l, havens ,a result :idonble nitrate ot mercury andlpotassinmg'the salt of which, when dry, is-1 non delhinesreni, whereas .mercurio nitrate is delilniescent.

. A solution of the aboifedescribcd salt-may be usd as the electrolyte,oI isolnfion ol' the nitrate of mercury, the I:iction ofbot-h solutionsbeing, as I believe, and soltar as the production of the-current isconcerned,'substantially the same. Uien either solution is used,

a powerful current is generat'edmnid very little polarization of thebattery ensues, and the zinc is only slightly consu-ined. Theenrreni ischieti y produced by f he electrolysis of the chemical. I cannot givethe`chfnnical reactions which take placednringf this electrolysis. butmetallic mercury 'and asinall (pianti'ty of I produce sin-h asalt-a fdouble nitrate ot' mercury and potassium-in the following manner: I taketllreiL equiva-4 roo trate above described.

.Although as stated, I may use the aboveldiz.

scribed chemicals in a solution simply, I prefer to prepare the chargefor each cell as followsz'I take a slip, B, of some fibrousmaterial-such as blottingfpaper,4 cloth, or the like-and dip it in thesaturated solution of the double ni-` The saltis deposited in crystalsupon' the vfibrous slip.` (which is soxneless in width than the width ofthecell,) A and the slip itself i`s changed by the action' of the freeacid in the solution into nitrocellulose, which is itself auelectrolyte, which.-

assists in the generation of the current. -These slips, when dry, may beeasily carried, vready for use; and the non-deliquescent quality of thedouble nitrate is here of signal advantage, since the slips will bealways dry and clean.

To generate a current, it is only necessary to place a slip in each cellwhich it "is ldesired. to use'and add asut'cient quantity ofjvater tofill or nearly illthe cell, and join the wires from the electrodes.purpose than merely tol carry the salt of the electrolyte conveniently.The electrolysis ofthe y chemical occurs for most part in intimateconthe box, as above, described.

ne'ction with the slip Rand a great part oftheproducts of theelectrolysis is deposited upon said sli p,instead ot' on the platesl orthe bottom The slip thus serves to materially decrease the possibilityofl polarization. In order that the upper part, b', of the slip may1always remain dry and clean, I prevent the liquid from being absorbedby this part of the slip by dipping itin shellac or other material. torender it nonabsorbent, before it isdippedv in the concentrated solutionof the electrolyte above described. The slip may thus be removed fromthe cell, when desired, without soiling the fingers.

U represents a box, which may be made of. wood or other insulatingmaterial.v At each end of, the box I prefer to place the metal plates cc,toA which the wires E E areattached.

Ascrcw, c',at one end of the box screws against the plate c at that end.The cells are placed in the box in series, as shown, in contact witheach other, the positive plates all lying in one direction. The twoplates at the ends of the series rest against the metal plaies c r. Thescrew c is tightened, and it holds the cells'in contact. 4By thisarrangement each cell may be used interchangeably with every other cell,and no fired order of the 'cells is nccessary,and any change which maybe desired,and for any purpose, may be made wit-hout trouble. Iprefer touse as the insulating material between the plates forming-each cellelastic rubber-,because its elasticity4 enables 'thelplat-es to forni amore complete and regular contact when placed When it' :Is

,half to three-quarters of an hour. Vrent is required for a longer'timc.it is the work of an instant only to renew the charge.

The slip also serves another electrical connection or both plates ofanother like cell by simpleV deliquescent,

desired to use less iban the entire number ol cells in the box, themetal wedge. c, having' a wirel attached, is inserted"between thelastcharged-cell and thc next uncharged cell.

The abovedescribed battery, while adapted to ayariety of uses, is, byreason ol its compactness, cleanliness, and constancy, especially suitedto thc requirements of the medi cal profession, who require a lighteasily managed battery, which will give lfor a short v time a constantcurrent of great electro-motive force. A battery`having thechargodeposited upon a slip of blotting-paper of about the size shownacts with constancy for from It a curliaving thus described myinvention, what ytio I claim as new, anddesire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l; A galvanic-battery cell consisting` of two v plates of differentelectrical potential, which lie substantially parallel with each other,and have their edges in line, said plates being cemented to a stripofinsulating material which lies between them at or near the edges ofthree sides, thereby forming a receptacle between them, said platesbeing iiat on their sides and edges, botlrot` which 4are exposed,whereby rn ayv be made with either contaetof y said cells, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified. A K

2; In a galvanic battery, two metal plates of different-electricalpotential'cemented to a strip of insulating material which lies betweenthem at or near the edges oi" three sides, there 'by forming areceptacle, combined. with a fibrous slip, anda suitable electrolytedeposited dry upon said slip, the whole being` adapt ed to be set-inoper-ation by the'add-ition oi' a sufiicient quantity of water to 'lillor nearly iill said receptacle` andr by completing the cirenit,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. ,y

3. Asan electrolyte in a galrauic battery, niereuric nitrate. v

Lt. As an electrolyte in a galvanic battery, a solution oi" Ainercuricnitrate combined with a salt (as potassio nitrate) which renders thecombined salt non-deliqueseent.

5.v In a galvanic battery, a fibrous slip hav ing one end madeimpervious to liquid, and having the chemical out of which theelectrolyte solution is made .deposited in a dry stateuponthe remainingportion thereof', substantially as and ior the purpose set forth.

6. In a galvanic battery,'the coinbinatiom with mercurio nitrate,oa salt[as potassio nitrate) which renders the. combined salt nonand 'a fibrousslip upon which said combined salt is deposited in a dry state, for thepurpose specified.

' CHARLES E. PIPER.

\Vitnesses: y

Guns. G. CARLsoN,

GUs'rAF SwANssoN.

IOC

lul

